Happy Days In Tre Ifor Llwydcoed

A Memory of Llwydcoed.

My grandfather William Forey and gran Nellie, moved to Tre Ifor, when they demolished Dare Street in Aberdare. I think it was around the 1930s or 40s. The whole street moved to these new houses, and most stayed there all their lives. My dad Richard John, or Jack as he was called, and his two sisters, Maud and Annie, born 1905, 1911, 1913. I knew most of the other families, but not by name, as I was quite young. The buses from Aberdare came into the streets and round "the ring" at the top of the road, then back to Aberdare. My grandad grew vegetables and flowers in the back garden, and the garden wall was brick and quite tall, backing on to some farmers field I think. I loved being picked up to sit on the wall and look over the other side! I remember they had a street party for the Coronation, and I have some old photos of the street. When my parent divorced I spent lots of time being looked after by my Auntie Maud. A fantastc woman! I married and lived abroad, but came back to Wales and my children and I once again moved in with my Auntie Maud, and Uncle Les, who now lived there after my Gran and Gransher had died. I owe them so much. But lovely Maud and Les are gone too, now, and it is too late to tell them. Next door to them had moved the Carruthers family, and their children were Ken, Nigel, Pat, Janice, Nigel and Yvonne. Marie Carruthers was mam, and dad was Jimmy. They were such lovely people and wonderful to my two children. Jimmy used to take them both for a walk down the park, with his dog, and would always go and find this huge tree with a hole in the trunk that Jimmy called "the cow's nest"! We laughed so much over that.
I have been back a few times and not a lot has changed but the houses seem to be mostly private now, and bought from the council. I still have a HUGE nostalgia for the place. I dream of it very often, and I was so happy there. Ken Carruthers actually bought my Auntie Maud's house, next door to his mam's! I couldn't think of a better thing. She would have been very happy to know Ken had the house after her. Maud and Les died in the 1980s. Major people in my life. I spend many an hour wondering what happened to Ken. Bless his heart! If anyone knows, then PLEASE let me know!

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